I’ve been back from Lake Powell for almost a week, and it’s taken me a while to write about it because I find it hard to explain.
On Sunday morning, the houseboat was loaded and we departed from Whaweap Marina. The weather was excellent, and so was the forecast: blue skies, temperatures in the 90s.
After a couple of hours of cruising through the lake, we picked out a “shore”, and anchored the houseboat. Shortly after, it was play time! People set out to go fishing, hiking, swimming, jet-skiing, wakeboarding and tubing. And of course, there was plenty of time for relaxing, playing card games and reading… but most of my time was spent in the 1st group of activities, doing things!
I wakeboarded for my 1st time. On the first go, the force of the boat pulling me ripped the handle out of my hands before I could get up. On the second one, I held on to it a little bit tighter and was able to get up. What a rush! Turn to the left: check. Turn to the right: eehh… sorta. “I can do this”, I thought to myself, and I was mentally ready to start jumping across the wake. Of course I fell, but I was eventually able to land a couple of small jumps, which was absolutely thrilling.
Tubing was also a lot of fun. Dani’s dad, Rick, made the experience very unique, making scary sounds as he skillfully maneuvered the boat as to make waves. He particularly enjoyed making a left turn when I was on the right side, and having me experience at least 3Gs of centrifugal force while trying to hold on to an inflatable object. Sometimes I’d let go, and I would roll above the water at least twice, before sinking in. I was laughing pretty heartily once I came out.
It turns out a houseboat trip is a monumental planning effort, and Dani’s family have had some practice at it. There was a lot of stuff going on behind the scenes, but it never got in the way of the vacation spirit. We had incredibly complex meals for a boat, but they all made it look easy. The planning for this must have been overwhelming, but it all paid off, because I think it was a fantastic trip.
Lake Powell is beautiful. At times, the wind dies down and once the lake settles down, it reflects like a mirror. Dani took a lot of pictures of this, and she’s putting together some landscape composite shots that are pretty incredible. Maybe I’ll get her to put them on the internets, and I’ll post a link.
While we were there, the water level was rising at an average of 9 inches a day, so the water only got a bit warmer. It was cold at times, but it was never too cold to enjoy.
To sum it up: I loved Lake Powell! I look forward to another opportunity to visit this land of canyons, scenery and dinosaurs.
Now, here’s a picture of Dani and I, with the anchored houseboat behind us.
A slideshow of all the pictures Dani and I took can be seen if you click here.
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